Glad you and the other passangers are safe SE Cupp; I had heard briefly of a plane making a emergency landing, did not know you were onboard, God was watching over everyone that time.

After reading once that you were an agnostic, I’d like to know (be honest) if you said a prayer during this ordeal.

20 years ago I was flying to Colorado from Detroit, MI.  After takeoff, the plane would not gain altitude and the pilot came on saying, “Well, folks, we have a problem.  We are going to circle back to the airport and land.  I want you to put your head between your knees until we land.”  So, we did as we were told and we landed safely.  The hydraulics failed.  Fire engines and amubulances greeted us at landing because we were landing with a full fuel tank.  We deplaned and 2 hours later I was on another plane to Colorado.  I had 10 flights that week because I was stopping in 5 different cities.  What a week!  While we were in the landing process, I thought about being scared, but then a very, very deep calm descended and I found I was okay with dying.  I was ready to have my ticket punched.

I’m so glad everyone’s okay! Sorry you had to do a round-robin S.E. Lost Wages – great architecture, some good shows, good pools, decent buffet’s, but after a while – it wears on ya.

(2) hydrallic systems failed – hmm…. I wonder if times are that tight that the airlines are stretching out their maintainance schedules… very spooky.

Been there. Done that. Coming in for landing on a 600mi puddle-hop and we got a red light on the landing gear. Thinking great, not now Lord! I really think I have more to do… but…. its your call; ready. Thankfully and God willed, after two escapades with planes, I’m still here.

No matter what S.E., statistically speaking, flying is the safest way to travel. Glad you’re okay!!

Flying is almost 0% dangerous. It’s the crashing part that’s not very safe. 

Thank God everyone is ok, He was truly watching over that plane.

statistically speaking, flying is the safest way to travel. Glad you’re okay!! http://DemoforFrank.blogspot.com

S.E. Cupp,

Don’t be afraid to fly because it’s still statistically safer than driving. You’ll be in my prayers.

I remember getting back from a Washington DC flight to Salt Lake on Jet Blue just 3 months before 9/11.  It was a horrible flight because the turbulence (storms over the Midwest) was so bad.  The plane had to be rerouted over Canada and then rerouted again to Denver (took about 10 hours to finally get to Salt Lake after layovers and refueling).  I never felt that I was in danger, but everyone’s face on our side of the plane looked every shade of pale to green.  I thought I was gonna toss cooks–even with Dramamine.  Flying can take it out on you physically, if you’re not a frequent flyer. 

Yeah, that’s a lot like falling.  I once fell 250ft (NOT a typo), and I can personally testify that the fall didn’t hurt a bit!  Of course at the end of the fall there was that hitting the ground part….

Oh, that flight attendant deserves some hugs, doesn’t she?  I know it’s her job to help passengers stay calm, but when you meet a really competent and kind professional, it’s always refreshing.

I fly just so I can see the nauseating rehearsal of how to apply the oxygen masks and how to use my seat belt.  I wish they would do the whole routine to music from ABBA or the Police.  Just sayin….

I was in an Army Helicopter (UHB1) that lost Hydraulic Pressure due to a leak, at 850-900 feet above ground.  As the Acting Crew Chief (the Real Crew Chief was with his Wife while she was having their baby), I was instructed to tell the Passengers that “We we going to have to Crash Land!” and keep them Calm (yeah right).  Luckily for us on board the Pilot was a Vietnam Vet that had been Shot Down 10 Times, and acutally knew how to Crash Land a chopper. To Save Us, he inverted the rotors and actually thrust the chopper downwards, so the ground went from coming at us fast to Speeding at us at an Insane Rate. By the time (about 2-3 seconds) we were about 30 ft from the ground, he Reversed Thrust and Slowed Down the Chopper to a sort-of Cushioned Landing.  The last 200-250 ft we started to Tailspin erratically because the leak was in the line going to the Tail Rotor.  His experience is all that saved us, and throughout all of this He Remained Calm and Professtional.  Thanks Again Sir… Otherwise I would not be here to write this.

Considering the amount of air traffic, a serious aging fleet of planes, air traffic controllers falling to sleep, out of date computer systems, etc etc, it’s a miracle that there aren’t many more crashes/mishaps

Flight from hell? What were you doing in hell and how was the flight to get there?

That’s what they’re trying to do…….make people not want to fly.  Communist countries don’t let you leave the country very easily.

So they circled Vegas for 4 or 5 hrs to burn fuel.
They could have burned fuel flying to NY.

Been flying for about 30 years, and not a scratch. I don’t enjoy flying on commercial jets, however. I love your name, and glad you went with GBTV.  You have a great mind and I enjoy
your critical thinking skills; it’s a gift indeed.  Keep safe, we need really smart people on the
right side.  best, C. Phillips

SE, SOOO glad you are OK.  I love your name and your critical thinking skills.  You have IT!
Whatever It is.  Also, glad you are on GBTV.  Been flying 30 years in my own planes, not 
one scratch. I am sort of wary of commercial jets.  The odds are with you never having another
such event.  Stay safe, we need smart people on the right! c.phillips

no hydraulics = loss of control.